Pushed Too Far
by SassyRaydorGirl
Summary: "The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased; it can only be accepted."
1. Chapter 1

**Pushed Too Far**

…

Kate turned the corner in to the street that would take her home, dimming the lights on her car as she drove up the road and in to the driveway. She parked the car, closing the car door quietly when she got out. She looked around to make sure nobody was about before going to the trunk of her car, taking out the object, with some difficulty, a thud when it slipped from her grasp. She dragged the object with her as she made her way around the back of the house, placing what she was carrying just under the hedges under the kitchen window before unlocking the patio doors and making her way in to the house. She began searching under the kitchen sink for what she needed, getting the bin bags and cleaning supplies that she required.

"What are you doing?"

Kate jumped when she heard the small voice behind her, turning to see the small girl looking up at her.

"Paige…"

Kate came over to the little girl, kneeling down in front of her, a forced smile on her face.

"Paige sweetheart, go back to bed."

"Mummy's been waiting for you."

"I know dearie, go back to bed."

Kate sighed when she heard the footsteps on the wooden flooring, the footsteps getting closer.

"Paige honey, is that….Kate, you're back."

Kate stood up, running a hand through her hair, turning away from the other woman and small child.

"Kate?"

"Would you please take her up."

"Kate I…"

"Now…." She said, a little louder than she meant too.

Paige hid behind her mother when Kate raised her voice.

"Paige honey, do mommy a favour and go back to bed and I'll be up shortly to read you a story okay?"

Paige nodded before walking away, Kate looked over at her partner to see anger on her face.

"Jess I'm sorry I…"

"Don't you **ever** yell at her like that again Kate, don't you dare."

"I'm sorry dearie, really I am."

The was complete silence for a few moments before Jess moved in to Kate's space.

"Where the hell have you been Kate, it's nearly 3am."

"I…I had some things to take care off."

"Such as? At this time of night and I…"

Jess stopped short when she finally took in Kate's appearance, noticing the blood just above her cheek. She moved to touch Kate's face, seeing the older woman flinch slightly.

"What happened to your face?"

"It's nothing."

"You've been attacked."

"Jess I…"

"What's happened, we're supposed to be partners…talk to me."

The determination in Jess voice didn't go unnoticed by Kate, who took the younger woman's hand and guided her outside in to the back garden and over to the object she's put under the hedge. Jess followed Kate's gaze to see the white sheet.

"What is that…a dead body?"

"..."

Kate remained silent when Jess looked at her and back towards the white sheet.

"Oh…my god. Are you serious? Kate?"

"Dearie I can explain?"

"Fuck…is that really a dead body?"

"I had no choice, I had too."

"what the hell is happening."

"Lower your voice."

"Lower my…are you fucking kidding me."

Kate grabbed her hand and took her back in to the house, praying the neighbours hadn't heard them. Jess began pacing back and forth, panic on her face.

"Jess dearie, you need to calm down."

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, I have every right to be worried. We have a dead body in the garden for god sake."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want apologies Kate, I want answers."

"He…he attacked me, he was going to kill me…I didn't have a choice."

"Why, why was he trying to kill you."

"He wanted Raymond, his whereabouts, they thought I knew."

"Who's Raymond?"

"Someone I know…I knew, a long time ago."

Jess took hold of Kate's face in her hands, giving the older woman a chaste kiss before she forced Kate to look at her.

"Kate, I don't know what the hell's going on but you need to start telling me the truth, if you want my help…I need to know what I'm getting in to here. I have Paige to consider, if this is going to put her and myself in danger then I need to know everything."

"I'll tell you, but first I need to make a quick call and get the body hidden."

…

Raymond Reddington was sitting in his favourite chair, the classical music playing in the background as he took a long drink of scotch from his glass, closing his eyes as he felt the liquid slide down his throat. He heard his phone buzz beside him, taking his phone he saw the unkown number appear on his screen.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Hello Raymond."

Red heard the familiar voice, his stomach twisting, not quite believing who was on the other end of the phone.

"Kate." He said, surprise in his voice.

"I know I'm the last person you expected to hear from Raymond but…I really need your help."

"What's happened?"

"Can you just come, I'll text you the address."

"Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Red hung up just as Dembe came, removing his jacket.

"There's been a change of plans Dembe, I'm sorry but we have to go out again."

"Is something wrong?" Noticing the worried look on his bosses face.

"I've just had a phone call…from Kate…she's in trouble."

"Kate…she survived?"

"Apparently so."

"And she called **you**?"

"Yes…I'm not sure what's going on but…she sounded worried. We should go?"

Red got to his feet, putting on his jacket as he and Dembe made their way to Kate.

…

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

…

Jess was sitting in the chair in the kitchen, while Kate stood in front of her, waiting for her to say something, anything but the silence that was currently occupying the room.

"Jessica, tell me what you're thinking?"

Jess finally looked up at Kate, a confused look on her face before she finally said something.

"Kate, I don't know what you want me to say, what can I say. You worked for a criminal, a man who supposedly a good friend and yet he shot you in the head. Your migraines suddenly make so much sense to me now."

Kate took one of the other chairs from the table and brought it over so that she was sitting on front of Jess.

"Dearie, there have been so many times when I've wanted to tell you, tell you about who I really was, what I did in my life but I was afraid that if I did tell you then you'd leave."

"You've killed people Kate, you've buried god knows how many bodies for this man, by rights you should be in prison."

"Are you going to the police?"

Jess heard the slight shake in Kate's voice when she asked the question, looking back at the older woman who had become such a big part of both her and her daughters life. Jess reached out, taking tight hold of Kate's hand.

"The woman you're telling me about, that isn't the same woman Paige and I have been living with for the last year and a half, that's not the woman I've fell in love with."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring all of this to your door."

"This Reddington guy, he thought you were dead?"

"Yes…when I jumped from that bridge, I honestly thought I would be. I didn't think I'd survive the drop but…"

"Well, if you survived a bullet to your head then I guess anything can happen."

"I didn't want to have to call him."

"Then why? Let's just get rid of the body out there and forget all of this."

"He's in danger, I have to warn him."

Jess got to her feet at Kate's last sentence, anger on her face.

"Oh my god Kate, the man **shot you**. You don't owe him a damn thing."

"I know, I know. I just can't shake the feeling of guilt if I didn't. We go back a long way Jess, we meant something to one another once."

Jess was about to speak when Paige appeared in the doorway, hugging her small bear, looking scared. Kate followed Jess eyes, seeing the young girl watching her.

"Paige sweetheart, I though your mother told you to go back to bed."

"She said she'd read to me, will you read to me Kateeee."

"How about you go to sleep and I'll read to you first thing in the morning and I'll make you some blueberry pancakes."

Paige smiled when Kate mentioned pancakes.

"Would you like that honey." Jess smiled.

"Okay, Kateee?"

"Yes dearie?"

"When you and mommy get married, does that mean you'll be my mommy too?"

Kate looked over at Jess who just smiled at them both.

"Jess?"

"You already know how I feel about it."

"I guess it does dearie, is that okay with you?"

"Love you Kateeee."

Paige moved forward, wrapping her small arms around Kate's neck, causing Kate to nearly fall back. Kate held the small child, a warm feeling coming over her, wishing she had met Jess so many years before.

…

Dembe pulled in to the road, driving past all the large houses in the area, pulling up outside the address that Kate had given to Red.

"Raymond, we're here."

Red looked out the window at the big house, the large front garden with the children's slide in the middle.

"It would appear that she doesn't live alone."

"Are you sure about this?"

"You and I both know she wouldn't have called me unless it was life or death, come on."

Red got out of the car, Dembe coming around to Red's side as the other man looked towards the house, not moving at first.

"I need to ask you something Raymond?"

"What's that then?"

"Kate, you tried to kill her, she acted out her revenge, took you for everything you had, destroyed you."

"You want to know if I'll try again?"

"All the anger, it hasn't helped anyone. All it's done is destroy you both and caused nothing but pain. You were close once, there was a time when you would do absolutely anything for her, hurt anyone who tried to harm her."

"Dembe…"

"She made a mistake, a huge one but revenge didn't solve anything, all it did was make everything worse. Maybe it's time to move on, put the ghosts to rest and start fresh. You wouldn't have come here tonight if she still didn't mean something to you."

"There's no guarantee that Kate will want to forgive and forget, by the looks of things, she's made a new life for herself."

"You said she sounded worried on the phone, maybe some things from your past can't stay buried."

"Well standing out here isn't going to help us find that out, will it. Come on, we should go and see what Mr Kaplan needs."

Red walked ahead, Dembe watching his friend and boss, seeing the remorse was still very much present in him.

…

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

…

Kate heard the doorbell, her stomach lurching suddenly, Jess looked over at her, seeing the fear that presented itself in the older woman's face.

"Kate? Are you okay?"

Kate wrapped her arms around herself as Jess came over to her, placing a warm hand on her back, forcing Kate to look up at her.

"I can tell him you're not here, if that's what you really want?"

"I asked him to come here dearie, I can hardly turn him away now."

"Do you have a weapon, a gun…for protection?"

"Of course I do, something tells me that I don't think I'll be needing it though, not from him."

Kate took a deep breath before she made her way down the hallway to the front door, Jess held Paige in her arms as she came out in to the hallway, watching as the woman she loved opened the front door slowly.

Red looked up when he saw the door opening, to see Kate standing before him.

"Hello Mr Kaplan?"

Kate hadn't heard the name Kaplan in so long, that the sudden mention of her alias made her a little emotional, which she wasn't about to let Red see, as she quickly covered up her emotions.

"Thank you for coming Raymond."

Kate stood to the side as Red made his way inside, Dembe came in behind him, Kate looking up at the familiar face, the love for him evident on her face.

"Dembe." She smiled, her voice breaking.

Dembe said nothing, instead he wrapped Kate in his arms, making himself secure in the fact that she was alive and well.

"Why don't we close the door dearie, we don't want to let all the heat out."

Dembe nodded as he closed the front door, one arm still around Kate's waist as they made their way down the hallway. Red was standing in the doorway of the front room as Jess glared at the stranger before her, Paige trying to release herself from Jess's arms. Kate could see the anger on Jess's face, knowing that she was thinking about all the things Kate had told her earlier.

"Jess dearie, why don't you take Paige back up stairs?"

"I don't want to go to bed, please mummy can't I stay up?" Paige begged.

"No honey, Kate's right. It's getting late and you have school tomorrow, come on."

She put Paige down before taking the little girl's hand in her own as they made their way over to go upstairs. Paige stopped, looking up at Red.

"Kateeee is going to be my mummy too soon."

Red was taken aback at first when the little girl began to speak to him, he knelt down in front of her, Jess tightening her hold on her daughter's hand.

"Well then you'll be a very lucky little girl, because Kate is one of the kindest and loving people you will ever meet. I only wish that I hadn't been so foolish and lost such a wonderful friend like I did."

"Come on Paige, bed time." Jess stated.

Paige said goodbye to Red, the little girl putting her arms around his neck, Jess pulled her back after a moment before they left the room. Red got to his feet, turning to see Kate and Dembe watching him. He walked over to them, his eyes landing on Kate who looked worried.

"I'm not going to hurt you Kate, I'll regret everything that happened between us for the rest of my life, I am truly sorry."

Kate offered a small smile before she, herself spoke.

"We both did things we regret, foolish things. We ought to have known better. I'm sorry too dearie."

"Paige is, very sweet."

"Yes she is, very inquisitive for such a young child, she takes after her mother."

"What's happened Kate? Why did you call me?"

"You're in danger Raymond."

"What, how could you possibly know that."

"I had a visit tonight and they made it very clear to me that you should sleep with one eye open."

"Do we know them?"

"We do, it's Makenna Richardson?"

Red stood staring at Kate, silence filling the room when Jess entered the room, immediately feeling the tension.

"Kate?" She said.

"Makenna Richardson, are you absolutely sure?" Red asked, ignoring the fact that Jess had just walked back in.

"Oh I'm sure."

"Wait, is he the one that did that to your face?" Jess asked.

Red was suddenly drawn to the bruise that was beginning to show in Kate's cheek, his hand coming to the side of her face, watching as she flinched slightly at his touch.

"Makenna did this to you?" He asked.

"His henchman, he punched me, threw me to the ground and told me to tell you that he was coming for you."

"Who's in the sheet?" Jess asked, turning to Kate.

"Wait, what sheet. What's she talking about?" Red asked.

"Makenna maybe a force to be reckoned with but his sidekick is not, the fool obviously doesn't know us, or me as well as he thought. Once he had me on the ground, he turned his back on me and began to walk away, probably figuring that I wouldn't be getting up for a little while. As soon as he turned away from me, I got out my gun, and I shot him in the back of the head."

Jess sat down on the nearest chair as she listened to Kate go over the events of her attack.

"You killed an unarmed man?" Jess stated, shocked.

Kate heard the disgust in Jess's voice as she turned to the younger woman, who had a blank expression on her face. Kate walked over to her, taking a seat beside her.

"Dearie, I didn't have a choice, it was him or me. Would you have preferred me to do nothing."

"What you should have don't is gone to the police, you should have reported what had happened."

"I couldn't do that."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?"

"Both, if I'd gone to the police, told them why he'd attacked me then the mere mention or Raymond would have been enough to get both myself and Raymond arrested. I told you the kind to work I did for him. I couldn't risk it."

"Kate….where's the body?" Red asked.

Kate got to her feet, putting her hands in her coat pocket, sighing before she looked back at him.

"The big hedge just outside the kitchen window, he's just under there, wrapped in a white sheet."

"We need to get rid of the body before you neighbours begin to ask questions?"

"I'll get the shovel, the car's parked at the side of the house."

"We'll get him as far away from here as possible and then, we can talk."

"Of course Raymond."

…

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

…

Kate followed Red out in to the back garden, coming up behind him when he stopped by the hedge. She watched as he pulled back the sheet, seeing the bloodied body of Kate's attacker.

"I didn't have a choice Raymond."

"I know you didn't, I'm sorry that this happened because of me. I brought this mess on you and your new family."

Red got to his feet, turning to see Kate watching him closely. He stood close to her, his hand coming to her arm.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

"I'm sorry too, for all of it. Not just this but, all the mess you and I have managed to cause. I really wasn't sure I should call you, Jess wasn't happy about it."

"She seems nice."

"She is, forgive her hostility towards you, it's just that she knows everything about what happened between us, she can't get over tha fact that you shot me."

"I don't think I ever will either, Kate if I could turn back the clock then I…"

"Well you can't dearie, what's done is done. All we can do it try and move forward, if that's possible."

"Right now, we need to get this body out of here. I'll go and get Dembe."

…

Dembe was standing in the kitchen with his arms folded as Jess watched him.

"So, you work for him too huh?"

"Yes."

"You'd better hope he doesn't shoot you in the head, he's done it before you know."

"You don't know him, what he did to Kate, he didn't have a choice."

Jess got to her feet, coming over to him, anger in her eyes.

"He didn't have a choice? He shot someone, someone he apparently cared very deeply about, someone who had been in his life for what, twenty…thirty years. The son of a bitch had a choice, he could have cut ties with her, anything but try to kill her. You can't take something like that back. The migraines that Kate gets on a weekly basis, the pain she's in because of what he did, it's unimaginable, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. So don't stand there and tell me he didn't have a choice, there's always another way."

Before Dembe could reply, Red entered the room, Jess looking away as she wiped away tears.

"Dembe, we need to get the body in the trunk of the car, I need your help."

"Of course Raymond."

As Dembe walked past him and outside, Red turned back to see Jess watching him.

"I know you don't care for my presence here tonight Jess."

"Kate needed you."

"Quite, she told you what I did to her?"

"In detail, we have no secrets."

"I know you probably won't believe me, but what I did, I do regret it. If I could take it all back I would."

"Yes well, you can't. The damage has already been done. I want to make one thing very clear here and now, after tonight, once you've helped her with the body. I want you gone, I want to leave and never come back. Kate has a new life now, she's happy with me and Paige, we're a family and we don't need anyone else to be a part of it, especially not you. I don't like you, I'll make that clear right now, your poison as far as I'm concerned. I have no right to ask this but I need you to promise me that after tonight, you leave and you don't come back. Allow Kate a life away from you, she deserves that much after all her years of dedication to you."

Red looked down at his feet for a moment before looking back to Jess, a half smile on his face.

"I understand, I really do and after we've taken care of the body, you have my word. I will never contact Kate again."

"Thank you."

Kate came inside to see what was taking Red so long, a little worried when she saw Jess and Red in deep conversation.

"Is everything okay in here?"

"It's fine, I was just reassuring Jess that no harm would come to her door. I'll wait outside, Kate don't be long, we really need to get going."

"Of course Raymond."

As he left, Kate turned back to Jess who's arms were folded in front of her, Kate could make out the tears in her eyes as she walked up to her.

"Dearie, what's going on?"

"Nothing, like he said he was just…"

"I'm not a fool dearie, so please, don't treat me as one."

"I was just making it clear to him that as soon as you've gotten rid of that body, he walks away. I don't want him in our lives Kate. I won't have Paige growing up around that kind of life."

"What did he say?"

"Surprisingly, he gave me his word. It has to end tonight Kate, you know that. You can't go back to how things were before, not after what he did to you, it's impossible to rectify that kind of hurt."

"No, I know you're right. It's just having him here again, it felt just like old times."

"If you want him in your life, then okay…but you can't have us. I don't want to have to make you chose but I…"

"I chose you, I will always chose you and Paige, because you are my family now. What you said is right, we'll never be able to move past what he did, it was always be there, lurking in the background, and that's no way to live a life. I chose you my dear."

Jess leaned in and kissed Kate, wrapping her in a hug.

"Promise me you will take care tonight, and for god sake, don't get caught."

"Getting caught isn't really our thing, don't worry dearie, I'll be home before Paige gets up."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too dearie, go and get some sleep okay?"

Jess nodded as Kate turned and left out the back door.

…

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

…

Dembe drove along the dark roads as Kate and Red sat in the back seat, Kate turned to look at Red every now and again, not really sure what she should say to him. So much had happened between the two and they both knew that nothing could fix what had gone so terribly wrong. Red could see her deep in thought when he glanced her way for a moment.

"Are you al-right Kate?"

"Yes dearie, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Life, the mistakes we make. You would think we'd have learnt after all this time."

"We stick to what we know I suppose."

"A lot of good it's done us."

She turned to him, a hint of a smile on her face as she reached over and grasped his hand.

"Jess told me what she said to you, I'm sorry for her anger."

"She loves you, I completely understand why she hates me, I wouldn't have expected anything else."

"She expresses her emotions very well."

"I don't blame her Kate, how could I. What I did to you was unforgivable and she has every right to ask me to stay out of your life."

"Somewhere in the back of my mind I secretly hoped that we'd be able to resolve the mistakes we made with each other."

"I know, I did too. However as much as we may want to fix things, we have to consider how the ones closest to us feel about our actions. I may not know Jess but one thing I do know about her is that she loves you more than anything and she was right. You, Jess and Paige are a family now and I have no right to disrupt that, and I wouldn't dream of doing so. I care about you too much to be the cause of a break-up between you both."

"The path we chose, it ruined our lives. I'm getting out, I really wish you'd consider doing the same. I'd like to walk away knowing that you're safe too."

"I don't think I can, you've seen for yourself first hand the enemies I have. Walking away for me isn't as easy as it would be for you."

"What about Elizabeth, I know how you feel about her. You wouldn't at least try for her?"

"Of course I would, but things always catch up with you in the end. I could never risk the lives or Lizzie or Agnes, no matter how much I'd love to just walk away from it all."

Dembe looked in the rear view mirror as he drove up the dark track road.

"We're here Raymond?"

"Yes, thank you Dembe."

Kate looked ahead, nothing but trees surrounding them. As Dembe pulled up, Red and Kate got out of the car, Kate pulling her jacket around her.

"Deja Vu." She said.

Red and Dembe, who had joined them, looked back at Kate, raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, bad joke."

…

It was just after 4am, Dembe was in a now deep hole with Red as the continued to dig. Kate had the torch down on them as the wind began to pick up.

"I think that's deep enough Dembe." Red instructed.

Kate looked down at the body at her feet, as Dembe and Red helped one another out of the hole. Kate made one last sweep of the body, making sure all personal id was destroyed and nothing could be traced back to them.

"We okay Kate?"

"We're done, everything is accounted for."

"Good, Dembe?"

Dembe gave a nod before he got behind the body and rolled it over and in to the hole before Red and Dembe began throwing the dirt back on to the corpse. Half an hour later, everything was back in place, some shrubbery covering where they had been digging. They shovelled the path as they made their way back to the car, clearing any signs of their footprints. Red took the shovels from Kate and Dembe and put them back in to the trunk of the car before they made their way back to Kate's.

…

Jess looked out the window when she heard the car pulling up outside, looking at her phone to see it was nearly 5am. Red got out of the car, offering a hand to Kate who stepped out seconds later. Kate looked over when she heard the front door opening and Jess standing in the doorway watching them.

"Thank you your help tonight, both of you." She smiled as Dembe came around to them.

"Take care Kate." Dembe smiled.

He drew the woman in to a hug, Kate holding on to him, her eyes closed.

"You can call me any time dearie, you know that."

"I know, I will."

"Dembe, give us a minute will you please?"

"Of course Raymond."

Dembe went back in to the car, Red turning back to Kate.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so, Raymond thank you for tonight, I know you didn't have too."

"It was because of me this happened."

Red placed his hands on either side of Kate's arms as she looked up at him.

"I wish I could take back everything I've put you though Kate, but I can't."

"Raymond, we were both at fault."

"Still, you deserve to be happy and not have to live with having to continually look over your shoulder. In a few days you will find a deposit in your **other** bank account, get away from here, take Jess and Paige and start a new life somewhere peaceful, you deserve that much at least."

"I'm sorry this has to be the end for us, I can't lose Jess and Paige."

"I understand, believe me I do. Look after yourself Kate, I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"You take too, and please think about what I said. You deserve a fresh start too, if you love Elizabeth and the beautiful little girl as much as I know you do, you'll make the change."

"I'll give it some very serious thought. Well this is it, look after yourself Kate."

Kate fell in to Red's arms as he hugged her as tightly as he could, feeling her breath on his face, her arms securely around his waist.

"I love you dearie, always."

"I love you too, I just wish it didn't have to end like this."

"Me too."

Red pulled back, kissing Kate's forehead.

"Go to your family Kate."

Kate smiled as she made her way up the path to Jess, who hugged her immediately.

"You okay?" She asked the older woman.

"I am now dearie, I am now."

Kate kissed Jess as Jess wrapped her arm around her shoulder, the two women watching as Red got back in to the car, giving Kate one last wave before they drove out of sight.

…

-Fin


End file.
